Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease is a contagious infection you get from the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae or pneumococcus).

Many people, especially children, carry pneumococcus in their noses and throats. It often spreads through droplets of spit (saliva) or mucus (snot or phlegm). Even if you don’t have symptoms, you can spread the bacteria.

Pneumococcal disease (noo-muh-KAHK-uhl) can be serious. Mild infections may cause symptoms like an earache or inflammation in the hollow spaces around your eyes and nose (sinuses). But severe infections can cause severe illness throughout your body and even death.

Types

Medical experts have identified more than 100 strains of S. pneumoniae. They cause two main types of pneumococcal disease:

• Noninvasive: This type of infection is more common and less serious. It doesn’t spread to infect your blood or major organs.
• Invasive: This type is more severe. It can infect your blood and major organs (including your bones).

Symptoms of pneumococcal disease

Symptoms vary depending on where the infection is in your body and how severe it is.

Mild infections may cause symptoms like:

• Fever or chills
• Tiredness
• Swelling in your ear or discoloration
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Mucus that drips into your throat (postnasal drip)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sinus pressure
• Headache

Serious infections may also cause symptoms like:

• Sweating
• Lack of appetite
• Confusion
• Light sensitivity
• Rapid heart rate
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Stiff neck

What parts of my body can it infect?

It can affect many different systems in your body.

Less serious infections can affect your:

• Airways (bronchitis)
• Middle ear (otitis media)
• Sinuses (sinusitis)
• Eyes (conjunctivitis or pink eye)

Severe infections may affect your:

• Lungs (pneumonia)
• Brain and spinal cord lining (meningitis)
• Bones (osteomyelitis)
• Joints (septic arthritis)
• Blood (bacteremia)

How do you get it?

Pneumococcal disease spreads through direct contact with saliva droplets or mucus. This usually happens when you:

• Cough
• Sneeze
• Kiss
• Touch another person
• Touch contaminated surfaces or objects (like tissues) and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth
• Share objects, like drinking straws, silverware or toothbrushes

Risk factors

Anyone can develop pneumococcal disease. But children, adults 65 or above and those with weakened immune systems are most likely to develop an infection.

Other risk factors include:

• Long-term (chronic) cardiovascular, lung, liver or kidney disease
• Sickle cell disease
• Diabetes
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak
• Cochlear implants

You’re also more likely to get pneumococcal disease during the winter and early spring months. That’s because the cold air dries out the mucus membranes in your respiratory system. This makes it easier for bacteria to enter.

Complications

Mild infections can last for weeks without causing complications.

Without quick diagnosis and treatment, serious infections can cause severe complications and even death. They may include:

• Breathing difficulties
• Vision or hearing loss
• Problems concentrating and remembering
• Fluid around your lungs (pleural effusion)
• Pockets of pus (abscesses)
• Bone tissue death (osteonecrosis)
• Immune system overreaction that damages the rest of your body (sepsis)
• Inability to move certain muscles (paralysis)
• Blood can’t get to your brain (stroke)
• Short-term loss of consciousness and uncontrollable movements (seizures)

How doctors diagnose pneumococcal disease

Your healthcare provider will review your medical history and ask about your symptoms. They’ll also recommend a physical exam. Depending on your symptoms, this may include looking in your ears, nose or eyes. This can sometimes be enough to diagnose a minor infection.

They may also recommend more tests to help them rule out other conditions and make an official diagnosis. These tests may include:

• Blood tests
• Pee test (urinalysis)
• Phlegm tests
• Chest X-rays
• Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)

How do you treat pneumococcal disease?

Healthcare providers use antibiotics to treat most pneumococcal infections. But sometimes, bacteria change so certain medications no longer kill them or stop them from growing. In these cases, your provider may need to try a few different kinds of antibiotics. If you have a severe infection, you may need to stay in the hospital for treatment.

Be sure to take your full course of antibiotics. If you don’t, the infection may return and be more challenging to treat.

For mild infections, your provider may also recommend:

• Drinking lots of fluids
• Taking pain relievers
• Getting plenty of rest

Recovery time

In mild cases, you may start to feel better shortly after starting antibiotics.

In severe cases, your symptoms may also last for days, weeks, months or even longer. It’s also possible to have permanent health issues.

Your healthcare provider will give you a better idea of what to expect, depending on where your infection is and its severity.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

It’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider whenever you’re not feeling well. But if you’re sick and have an underlying health condition, see them right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including:

• Shortness of breath
• Coughing up phlegm
• Feeling very tired, including trouble waking up
• Feeling less hungry
• Light sensitivity

Call 911 or go to the nearest ER immediately if you experience serious symptoms, including:

• A fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius)
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing

During your appointment, you may want to ask questions like:

• How did I get pneumococcal disease?
• How severe is my infection?
• How can I avoid spreading it to others?
• Will I have any long-term issues?
• For how long am I contagious to others?
• For how long do I have to take antibiotics?
• How should I store my medications?
• Are there any serious symptoms I should look out for?

What can I expect if I have pneumococcal disease?

Your outlook depends on many factors, including:

• Your age and overall health
• Whether you have noninvasive or invasive pneumococcal disease
• The severity of your infection
• Where the infection is in your body
• If you have any underlying health conditions

Early diagnosis and treatment are important. But it may take a long time for you to make a full recovery. Even with treatment and hospitalization, severe cases of pneumococcal disease may be fatal. Your healthcare providers will give you a better idea of what to expect.

Can it be prevented?

The best way to reduce your risk of getting pneumococcal disease is to get a pneumococcal vaccine. Experts recommend vaccines for:

• All adults over 50
• Adults 19 to 49 with certain risks
• Kids younger than 5

Getting an annual flu vaccine can help lower your risk, too. The flu weakens your immune system, which makes it more difficult to fight off infections like pneumococcal disease.

You can also help lower the spread of pneumococcal disease by:

• Staying away from others when you’re sick
• Covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough
• Regularly washing your hands with soap and clean water, especially after blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing or touching someone else who’s sick
• Regularly cleaning shared surfaces